Introduction
It works for both the Mini 4 Pro and the Air 3, and what it allows us to do is to connect up a 4G enabled SIM card into our drones to get even more consistent, reliable range. This is the DJI cellular dongle 2, and it allows you to connect up a SIM card to access the 4G network to enhance your range with either one of these drones, either the DJ Air 3 or the DJI Mini 4 Pro.
Installation Process for Air 3
The thing that’s really cool about this is if you have the Air 3, you can actually install it directly into the body of the unit itself. You pull out the battery, loosen some screws underneath, and install the module into the body of the drone. This feature has been hidden and unknown to many users, but it offers a great advantage in enhancing the drone’s range.
Enhanced Range
Once you have successfully installed the DJI Cellular Dongle 2, you will experience a significant enhancement in the drone’s range. By connecting a SIM card to access the 4G network, you can now enjoy more consistent and reliable range for your Air 3 or Mini 4 Pro drone.
Convenience
With the DJI Cellular Dongle 2, you no longer have to worry about connectivity issues or limited range when flying your drone. The convenience of being able to access the 4G network directly from your drone opens up new possibilities for aerial photography and videography.
Easy Installation Process
Mounting the dongle into the Air 3 is a simple process. The included 4G antennas can be easily plugged into place, facing away from each other for convenience. While disconnecting them can be a bit fiddly, there is some wiggle room to adjust them as needed. Once plugged in, the antennas go into the body of the Air 3, where they can be connected to the USB C port with ease. After aligning and angling the dongle, it clicks into place securely.
Enhanced Range and Stability
Inside the body of the Air 3, the 4G dongle works to increase the range and stability of the drone. This is particularly beneficial when operating within a 4G range, as it improves the overall range of the drone. With the dongle installed, you can expect a significant boost in performance and reliability during flights.
Increased Connectivity
By utilizing the DJI Cellular Dongle 2, drone pilots can enjoy extended connectivity options. The dongle allows for seamless communication between the drone and the controller, ensuring a reliable connection even at greater distances. This opens up new possibilities for aerial photography and videography, as operators can push the limits of their drone’s range without sacrificing signal strength.
Compatibility with Mini 4 Pro
In addition to the Air 3, the DJI Cellular Dongle 2 is also compatible with the Mini 4 Pro. This means that users of the Mini 4 Pro can also benefit from the extended range and stability provided by the dongle. Whether flying the Air 3 or the Mini 4 Pro, drone enthusiasts can take their aerial adventures to new heights with the DJI Cellular Dongle 2.
The DJI Cellular Dongle 2 Review
One of the most exciting advancements in drone technology is the DJI Cellular Dongle 2, which promises unlimited drone range for the Mini 4 Pro and Air 3 models. This device allows you to connect your drone to a cellular network, expanding the potential range of your flights and opening up new possibilities for aerial photography and videography.
Mounting the Dongle
When you receive the DJI Cellular Dongle 2, you will also get a Mini 4 Pro mounting rig included. It is essential to set up the mounting rig correctly to ensure a secure connection for your drone. Make sure to line up the two antennas and plug them into place, being careful not to bend or cut the cables. Once everything is in place, you can slot the rig onto the drone, making sure it sits flush and secure.
Connecting the Cable
The cable included with the DJI Cellular Dongle 2 is extremely bendy, which allows for flexibility in mounting. Plug the cable into the dongle and route it up towards the USBC port on the Mini 4 Pro. This setup ensures that the connection is secure and will not interfere with the drone’s flight capabilities.
Securing the Dongle
After mounting the dongle and connecting the cable, flip the drone over and align the dongle with the landing legs. The two little stoppers on the dongle will help position it correctly, ensuring a stable connection while in flight. Double-check that everything is securely in place before taking off to avoid any potential issues during your flight.
Mounting the Dongle
It still reveals the auxiliary light there and you can see it just kind of pokes out the bottom. Once that’s in place, you put the strap over the top. It’s quite a stretchy strap, and then it just clips into place. Then, from there the Bendy, USBC cable plugs in and that’s how it looks.
Appearance and Clearance
This is what it looks like when it’s all mounted on you can see it protrudes out the back a little bit, but in terms of the clearance it sits nicely on the ground and still gives you the clearance. There are no issues with the camera touching the ground or the propellers being too close to the ground. It actually works quite nicely.
Powering On and Connecting
Very similar process to what you’re used to power on the Drone power on the controller everything’s connected, like I showed you before, with the cellular dongle 2. Then from there, I’ll show you on the screen how to connect it up to the 4G network on the controller.
Connecting to Wi-Fi network
You’ll see in the top right corner it says 4G with a cross through it, so you tap on that and it will bring up the prompt that says: connect remote controller to Wi-Fi network and make sure Wi-Fi connection is working. This is one of the interesting decisions here, so you actually have to connect it up to your phone, like you would want to hotspot it depending on what location you’re in.
Setting Up the Connection
So, that also depends on what your 4G connectivity looks like or 5G connectivity in the area. Basically, I’m just going to turn on the personal hotspot on my phone like so. I’ve just turned on the personal hotspot and then on the controller. It will pop up with my Hotspot, which is D tube TV. I’ve connected it up to the personal hotspot. On my phone and now once I return back to the DJI Fly application, you’ll still have the that X, where it says 4G, but this time, when you tap on it, it will now give us the option, as you see, to connect up so it is already connected up and enabled the enhanced transmission.
Important Considerations
If you are connected to a mobile hotspot on your phone, make sure your phone has good mobile signal strength and avoid making or receiving calls during flight. It is recommended to switch your mobile hotspot band to 2.4 GHz. Stability of enhanced transmission will be affected when Wi-Fi network connection is unstable or experiences interference.
Ensuring Connection Quality
So, that’s one of the big things to be aware of. We can now see in the top right, it does say 4G and it’s got the bars there to let us know what the connection is like. But that’s a huge thing to be aware of because if you’re flying in a remote area and the 4G or 5G isn’t great, then that’s heavily going to impact on the flight.
Stable Connection in Built-Up Areas
When flying drones in local areas with a strong presence of 4G networks, such as a soccer or football field, the DJI Cellular Dongle 2 provides a stable and reliable connection. The device ensures that users can consistently stay connected to their drone, even when flying at a distance.
Remote Locations and Hotspot Connectivity
While the DJI Cellular Dongle 2 excels in built-up areas with robust network coverage, users in remote locations may face challenges. Connecting via a hotspot in such areas can lead to potential issues with maintaining a strong connection. It is important to consider the network availability and reliability when using the dongle in remote settings.
Testing Range and Stability
By testing the DJI Cellular Dongle 2 in a variety of environments, including areas with multiple Wi-Fi networks and connections, users can gauge its range and stability. The device’s performance when flying in a location with competing signals can offer valuable insights into its effectiveness in different scenarios.
Enhanced Connectivity
Its back up to five so thats the thing thats really cool here when youre using your controller youve, always got to be like aware of which way youre facing with the controller making sure the antennas are facing, that way, making sure youve got no interference but having Something like this, where you do have a stable, reliable, consistent, 4G connection, because youve obviously got a SIM card basically plugged into the Drone thats, where you can get some really impressive range here.
Impressive Range
So far were at about 500 M. You know I can kind of. I can see it in the distance over there and yeah. The the 4G is still bang on its five bars across the board. No interference and you can see theres a lot of houses around so perfect opportunity to have that interference, but no issues at all.
Stable Connection
Im not having any issues and thats where this really does stand out, this kind of situation, where youre flying in a relatively built-up area, but you want to get that extra range uh. Maybe you just want more of a stable connection is a great example uh, where you dont want to worry about, like the interference from having you know, just purely the controller, sending the signals.
Enhanced Image Transmission
Something like this is great because Im getting that enhanced image transmission directly to the phone here so were at to 600 M now and completely fine still got those five bars, no issues with it dropping out.
Reliability
You can see the feed isn’t dropping out in any way. Haven’t got any issues with, like you know the uh, the responsiveness of the sticks or anything like that. Even you know the responsiveness on the screen, it’s all very reliable. Extremely reliable here and you can see I’ve even got the Drone coming back towards me.
Connectivity
Now so you know I’m facing my back to the Drone now just to see if we’ve got any sort of Dropout or anything like that. But it won’t be an issue because it’s coming from the actual drone itself, it’s connecting up to 4G networks all around the area here, so it’s going to be completely reliable, regardless of what situation you’re in and so perfect.
Performance
For this kind of scenario, right, you can see how flawless it is, how easy it is to connect up uh, like I said just before, you have to keep in mind that if you’re flying in a remote area, you might have some issues right, that’s. The thing you have to keep in mind here, but you can see no issues at all, so let’s just Chuck it into sports mode we’re going to go the other direction now. Well, just get it to fly over this direction here and we’ll just see if we have any issues. I would not imagine that we would it’s flying at 15. M/s, so extremely fast we’re just going to get it to fly just in this direction.
Reliable Connectivity
The DJI Cellular Dongle 2 offers an impressive range of up to 900 meters without any signal dropouts. Whether flying the Mini 4 Pro or the Air 3, this accessory provides a reliable connection, even in areas with potential interference.
Enhanced Versatility
With the mounting kit included, the DJI Cellular Dongle 2 may look a bit unusual on the Mini 4 Pro due to its small size. However, it significantly increases the drone’s range and allows for more flexibility when flying in different locations. Keep in mind that the weight of the drone will exceed 250 grams with the accessory attached.
Flawless Experience
Tested at a distance of 900 meters, the DJI Cellular Dongle 2 provides a flawless flying experience. The 4G bars remain fully locked at five bars, ensuring a perfect connection throughout the flight. Even at maximum altitude, the accessory performs exceptionally well, responding exactly as expected.
Design and Stability
The DJI Cellular Dongle 2 boasts a simple yet effective design that offers stability and flexibility during flight. The cable is well-designed and does not seem to affect the drone’s performance in any way. Additionally, upon landing, the dongle provides extra clearance to stabilize the back of the drone, making it a valuable add-on for the Air 3 and Mini 4 Pro models.
Mounting and Compatibility
One of the key features of the DJI Cellular Dongle 2 is its internal mounting to the body of the drone, providing a seamless integration. The dongle can be easily swapped between the Air 3 and Mini 4 Pro models, making it a versatile accessory for drone enthusiasts who own both drones. The mounting kit is heavy-duty and reliable, ensuring a secure fit during flight.
Durability and Performance
Despite initial concerns about the material, the mounting kit of the DJI Cellular Dongle 2 proves to be durable and reliable. During testing in various scenarios, the dongle consistently maintained a strong signal with minimal dropouts. The 4G connectivity remained stable, with only a brief drop to three bars before quickly returning to four bars.
Conclusion
Upgrade your DJI Air 3 or Mini 4 Pro drone with the DJI Cellular Dongle 2 and experience unlimited drone range like never before. Improve the connectivity and reliability of your drone flights with this innovative accessory.
The DJI Cellular Dongle 2 is a game-changer for drone enthusiasts looking to push the boundaries of their flights. With unlimited range potential, the possibilities for capturing stunning aerial shots are endless. By following the proper mounting and connection procedures, you can ensure a safe and secure flight every time. Upgrade your Mini 4 Pro or Air 3 drone with the DJI Cellular Dongle 2 and take your aerial photography to new heights.
